THUS they, united with all their Force, and fix'd in Thought, march'd on in Silence, to foft Pipes, that in fome Measure eas'd their painful Steps over the burnt Soil: And now they ftand advanc'd in Sight, a terrible Front, dreadful in Length, and in dazzling Armour, after the Manner of old Warriors, with Spear and Shield, waiting what Commands their mighty Chief had to give out; he cafts his experienced Eye thro' the armed Files, and cross the whole Battalion, by which Means he observed their due Order, their Countenances, and Statures, fhewing them like Gods; at last he numbers them. AND now his Heart fwells with Pride, and valuing himself upon his Strength he glories; for never fince did ever any created Man meet fuch Force, not in the moft numerous and powerful Armies, which if nam'd with thefe, could only deferve to be compar❜d to a fmall People in INDIA, known to us by the Name of Pigmies; tho' all the Brood of Giants that are said to have made War against the Gods, were join'd with the Race of Heroes, who fought at THEBES (p) and TROY, (q) with auxiliary Deities mix'd on each Side, (s) Thebes, Lat. Gr. from the Phan, i, e. Dirt or Mud; because it was covered with Water, Snow and Dirt in the Winter Time. A famous City of Baotia in Greece, built by Cadmus, or at least the Citadel of it, which was called Cadmea, from him. There Cadmus with his Heroes fought: There alfo Ef tocles and Polynices, Sons of Oedi pus, fought one againft another; and there Hercules the Giant was born, who flew the Centaurs, the Nemean Lion, the Moniter and Hydra, and the wild Boar of Erymanthus, near Thebes, &c. (t) Troy, Ilium, Ilion and Ilios; Lat. from the Gr. from Ilus the fourth King of Troy, who enlarged it, and gave it that Name. It is called alio Troy, from Tros, the fecond King; founded by Erythonius, about A. M. 2574The City of Troy in Phrygia, in the Leffer Afia, three Miles from the gean Sea, upon the River Xanthus, near Mount Ida. What Heroes fought there on both Sides, while the Greeks befieged it and what makes a great Noife in Fable or Romance, of King ARTHUR (u) attended by BRITISH (x) Knights, and all those who fince that, either Christian or Infidel, have diftinguish'd themselves at Joufts (y) and Tournaments, in ASPRAMONT (z) or MONTALBAN, (a) DAMASCUS, (b) or MOROCCO, (c) or TRE it ten Years, and then raz'd it, 432 Years before the Building of Rome, is well known to all, who have read Homer, Virgil, Ovid and other Poets. (u) King Arthur, Brit. i. e. A firong Man, King Arthur was crowned, A. D. 516, and was a famous Hero in old British Hiftory. They fay, he fought 12 Battles with the Saxons, with vast Valour and Succefs. He combated alfo with many foreign Knights and Champions, died in the goth Year of his Age, and 34th Year of his Reign. (x) British, of Bretain, Heb. and Phan. i. e. The Land of Tin: or Brit. i. e. painted, because the old Phænicians dug Tin out of Cornwall, &c. and the old Britons painted themselves with Woad, &c. to make themselves appear more terrible in War, as the Pits in Scotland, and the wild Americans do to this Day. (y) Foufts, which was a very antient Diverfion, when the Combatants mounted on Horfeback, armed, adorned with Feathers and Lances in their Hands, run at one another a full Gallop, one on one Side, and the other on the other Side of a low Rail. This Sort of Exercife (called Joufts and Tournaments in the Old French) was first introduced into Germany, at Magdeburg, A. D. 835, by Henry called the Fowler, a Saxon Prince, who was elected Emperor of Germany, fome time after Charles the Great, by Manuel Comnenus, Emperor of Conftantinople, about A. D. 1114. by K. Henry IV. in Smithfield, before the English Nobility, A. D. 1409. But was ufed among the old Saxons, as a Trial of Manhood and Innocence ; and called by them Kamp-Fight, now by us a Duel and Combat. Lat. Fr. i. e. A Fight between two Men. (x) Afpramont; Lat. i. e. A rough, rocky Mountain; a feigned Name in old Romances. (a) Montalban; Lat. i. e. A white Mountain. A Mountain distant 12 Miles from Rome in Italy; whereon the decifive Combat was fought between the three Horatii on the Side of the Romans, and the three Curiatii, on that of the Albans. Some take it alfo for Montaubain, in France, and others, for a feigned Name in Romances. (b) Damafcus; For therein it is faid that Cain and Abel the firft Heroes fought for Life and Death, Gen. 4. 8. (c) Morocco; Heb. i. e. Weß, or Arab, i. e. A Government, Gr. i. e. Black; because it is Weft TREBISOND; (d) or those who were fent from the Shores of AFRICK, (e) when the Powers of (ƒ) CHAR Weft from Canaan, and the People are Black. The Romans called it Mauritania, i. e. The Country of the Mauri, whom we call Moors and Blacks. A large, pleafant and fruitful Kingdom in Africa, upon the Atlantic Ocean. It is 300 Miles long, and 180 Miles broad; and is divided into seven Provinces. Morocco is very large and was the capital City of it; but now Fez enjoys the Honour. This Country contains many Romans Antiquities ftill. Here King Juba acted the Hero with Pompey, Curio, Scipio, Cafar, &c. (d) Trebifond, or Trabifond; by the Greeks, Trapeza, i. e. a four-footed Stool, because it refembles that. The capital City of Cappadocia, and the Seat of a Turkish Governor, near the Euxine Sea. This Country is faid to have been the Land of the Amazons, afterwards the Seat of the Parthian Empire. Comnenuus founded this Empire, when the Turks took Conftantinople from him, A. D. 1204. Mubammed the Great took it from the Greeks, A. D. 1461, fo it has continued in their Poffeffion. The Greeks now call it Romania, through a Miftake. Alexis (e) Afric, for African, from Africa, Arab. i. e. An Ear of Corn, because it is very fruitful in Corn in the Vallies; or from Ifrifki or Ifrifkish, an Arabian Prince. The Tartars and Indians call it Magrib and Al-Grib, i. e. The Weft, on Account of LEMAIN, its Situation in Respect to them. Its ancient Names were Olympia, Oceana, Efchatia, Coryphe, Hefperia, Eria, Ortygia, Ammonia, Ethiopia, Ophiufa, Cephenia, Cyrene, Lybia. Africa is the largest Peninsula in this Part of the World, encompaf'd with the Sea, except the Ifthmus of Suez, which is 18 Leagues or 64 Miles long. It is one of the four grand Parts of the Earth, larger than Europe, much less than Afia, extending from N. to S. about 4800 Miles, and from E. to W. 4800 Miles. It lies almoft under the Torrid Zone, is exceffively hot, barren and fandy, very imperfectly known to the Antients, who thought it was not habitable, and even to us this Day, in the inland Regions. It was peopled by the Pofterity of Ham, who bear his Curfe to this Day, for they have been always Slaves to other Nations, Gen. 9. 25. Christianity flourifh'd there in the firft Ages, Tertullian, St. Auguftin, St. Cyprian, were glorious Lights therein; but alas! now they are almost all Heathens and Muham medans. Chriftianity was weakned by the Invafion of the Goths and Saracens, and lastly of the` Muhammedans, A. D. 722. (f) Charlemain; Fr. i. e. Charles the Great. In the Teut. and Sax. it fignifies ftrong, ftout, valiant. A mighty Hero, a valiant and pious Prince, born A. D. 742. He was King of France, and made Emperor of Germany, LEMAIN fell by FONT ARABIA. (g) Thus far were these beyond the Comparison of any mortal Valour, yet they obferv'd their dread Commander; he, in Shape and Gesture proudly eminent, ftood like a Tower; for his Form had not loft all her first Brightness, nor did he appear lefs than an Archangel ruin'd, and a great Excefs of Glory obfcur'd: As when the Sun newly risen looks thro' the misty Air, which hinders his Beams from piercing through; or when from behind the Moon in dim Eclipfe, he sheds a bad Influence on half the Nations, and perplexes Monarchs with Fear of Change; fo darkned was the Archangel, yet he fhone above them all, but deep Scars of Thunder had mark'd his Face, and Care was vifible on his faded Cheeks, but under Brows of dauntlefs Courage and confiderate Pride, that watch'd for Revenge. His Eye was cruel, but caft Signs of Remorfe and Compaffion, to behold his Companions, or rather Germany, A. D. 800. Crown'd at Rome by Pope Leo III. with the Title of Cafar Auguftus and the two-headed Eagle, to make the Roman and German Empire, which he poffefs'd in great Part. A victorious, learned, liberal, juft and pious Prince; therefore he was dignity'd with the Title of moft Chriftian King, which the French Kings have enjoy'd ever fince. He dy'd peaceably at Aix la Chaple, Jan. 28, A. D. 814, of his Age 72, Reign 45, and was buried there. Frederick I. took his Body out of the Sepulchre, out of which were taken a great Number of Reliques and Rarities, which he had collected in his Life-Time; but not like the Riches found in King David's. (g) Fontarabia; Span. from thofe the Lat. i. e. A rapid Stream. A very ftrong Fort and City on the Frontiers of Spain in Bifcay. on the Mouth of the River Ridoffa, near St. Sebaftian, and well fortify'd on the Borders of France, which hath frequently befieg'd it, but in vain. OBS. This Expedition and Fall of Charles the Great, with his Nobles at Fontarabia, related by Mr. John Turpin, is entirely falfe and fabulous. But Poets do not regard Exactness of Hiftory nor Chronology, provided a Fiction may help them out, and pleafe their Readers. For Eneas was 300 Years after Queen Dido, tho' Virgil makes them contemporary, as St. Aufin proves in his Book, Of the City of God, and G. Hornius in his Arca Nox, P. 358. thofe who had follow'd him in his Crime, (whom he had beheld far otherwife once in Blifs) condemn'd now to have their Lot in Pain for ever; Millions of Spirits for his Fault depriv'd of Heaven, and for his Apoftacy flung from eternal Splendors; yet how faithful they stood, tho' their Glory was wither'd! As when Lightning hath scorch'd the Oaks, though their Tops be fing'd and bare, their stately Trunks ftill ftand upon the blasted Heath. SATAN now prepares to fpeak, whereon they bend their doubled Ranks from Wing to Wing, and fo half enclose him about with all his Peers. They all kept mute, thro' Attention; and thrice he attempted to fpeak, and as many Times, in Spite of all his Scorn, Tears, fuch as Angels may be faid to weep, burst forth; but at last, mixing his Words with a great many Sighs, he faid: YE Numbers of immortal Spirits! Powers, matchlefs except with the ALMIGHTY! and even that Strife was not inglorious, tho' the Event was fatal, as this Place teftifies, and this fad Change, hateful to utter; but what Power of Mind, forefeeing or foretelling from the Depth of past or prefent Knowledge, could have fear'd how fuch united Force of fo many Gods, and fuch as stood like thefe, could ever be defeated? For who can yet believe, tho' after fome Lofs, that all these powerful Legions, whofe Expulfion hath almoft empty'd Heaven, fhall fail to afcend up thither again, by the Power of their own Strength, and again take Poffeffion of their native Seat? Bear witness against me, all the Hoft of Heaven, if different Counfels, or any Danger fhunn'd by me, have loft our Hopes: But he who reigns now the Monarch in Heaven, 'till then fat on his Throne, as one fecure, upheld by old Repute, by Cuftom, or Confent, and his Royalty and State put forth at full; but always conceal'd his Strength, which encourag'd us in our AtE tėmpt, |